Egao no Tensai
by Suain
Summary: Collection of interconnected drabbles. Just why did Fuji join the tennis club when he's not really that interested in tennis? FINISHED (kind of).
1. Chapter 1

**Egao no Tensai  
**_Drabble, 659 words  
First person (DON'T HATE ME!!!).  
Disclamer: Don't own anything... Except my socks, AND YOU'RE NOT TAKING THEM!  
Warnings: First fanfic, be nice. There's some OOC in this chapter. Shounen-ai (feels ridiculous to warn about something like that in this fandom).  
Category: Angst...? Err not really, something like that though in this chapter. A bit AU.  
Pairing: Urr, yeah... You'll figure it out... Maybe... Ok ok, on with it._

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I don't know why Momo asked me this, but here goes.

It was in the early weeks of our second year at Seishun Gakuen. I was working hard at becoming a regular, as were many other second years. Quite a few spots had been vacated as the old third years graduated, and while the new seniors where more than convinced they'd be the ones to fill those spots, I knew better. There were quite a few talented people in our year, among them a timid boy with an unbelievable hidden strength, whose name was Kawamura, and a skinny redheaded boy who never seemed to be able to keep still, called Kikumaru. It was the latter one that one day brought a friend to practice, a short, tan-haired boy with a sweet smile and almost feminine features.

At first glance the redhead's friend seemed just a pretty face, and the following tennis practice did nothing to discourage that assumption. The boy, having been tricked into a 'friendly' game, played well but not extraordinarily so. He moved gracefully, but not nearly fast enough to keep well up with his opponents rally. In the end the boy lost, yet his, almost overly, kind smile never left his lips. He thanked his opponent and walked off court to join Kikumaru again. The redhead was pouting for some reason, and the moment the boy joined him by the sidelines Kikumaru started whispering furiously to him. The boy nodded and kept on smiling. It wasn't until later that I realised he never once opened his eyes.

The boy didn't show up again until the first ranking matches of the year, and then only as a spectator. I vaguely remember him asking me when 'Eiji' was playing. It took me a while to realise he meant Kikumaru. I knew I should be better with names, but I couldn't really bother back then. I'll get to why later. I directed the boy to the courts where C-block would be playing, as that was the block to which Kikumaru had been assigned. I even showed him the way, as I had some interest in that block as well. It was the block Tezuka and Inui would be playing in. Thinking back on it like this, it was rather unfair to Kikumaru. Inui uses the information he gathers on other players during practice to beat them. He knew Kikumaru through and through, no matter how much the redhead impressed us all with his acrobatic movements on the court. The tan-haired boy comforted a sulking Kikumaru after his loss. It was his second one, which meant he wouldn't be making regulars this time around. I didn't pay a lot of attention to what was said between them, even though I was standing right next to them. The next match was Tezuka versus Inui, and while Inui was a casual acquaintance of mine, Tezuka Kunimitsu was by far my best friend. And truthfully, perhaps back then I saw a bit more in our friendship then what was really there. I was the only one Tezuka ever really talked to after all. I think I believed that had to have some deeper meaning. I think I really wanted it to. Tezuka was quickly becoming my world, which is why I paid so little attention to anything else back then.

The match was proceeding as I had known it would, Inui struggling despite his 'data', Tezuka with his amazing shots and effortless play owning the game completely. However, no matter how much I wanted to watch Tezuka's match, I was distracted from it by the sudden silence beside me. I remember looking somewhat concernedly at Kikumaru, but he in his turn was staring at his friend in complete awe. And so I looked to the shorter boy.

That was the first time I saw the eyes of tensai Fuji Syusuke. And it was at that point I knew Tezuka was lost to me.

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To those who may not know; tensai means prodigy.

I have no idea when Fuji really joined the tennis club, but this is my story so I get to make stuff up, whee!

And yes, I'm aware that the title is somewhat unimaginative. Ignore that please.

Review? Please?


	2. Chapter 2

**Egao no Tensai  
**_Chapter 2  
Drabble, 607 words.  
First person.  
Disclaimer: Still don't own anything. And I have a hole in my sock. sob  
Warnings: I think this chapter's pretty tame. I guess I could warn for ditzy-ness…  
Category: General. Still a bit AU.  
Pairings: None really, at least not here._

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The thing I remember most clearly from my sophomore year is the huge commotion Fuji caused when he joined the tennis team. I thought it was really funny, nyah. Thinking back on it, it i was /i really funny!

I got to know Fujiko-chan in our freshman year. He was in my homeroom, and we sat next to each other so of course I started talking to him. Homeroom is pretty boring anyway. Not as boring as Classics, but still really boring. Nyah! What was I talking about? Oh right, Fuji. Anyway, we t- well I talked, he was a pretty good listener. I liked him, 'cause he didn't seem to think I was stupid like most other people in our year. When I told him I didn't like Classics he even offered to tutor me, since it was his favourite subject. I was a bit dubious (heh, nice word!) to it at first, because in our Classics class he didn't even pay attention… At all! But when the teacher called on him to answer a question he did so easily, still with his ever present smile on.

It was a bit creepy actually.

I got used to it real quick though. What can I say, I adjust easily. So by the time I realised there was something scary behind that smile, I was already best friends with him. Well, no matter how much he creeps me out sometimes, I know he'd never really hurt me. Actually, he doesn't like hurting people at all, it's just… Well he's Fuji, nyah! He tricks people, it's part of his personality. It can be kind of fun, as long as it's not directed at me.

Anyway, he helped me with my tennis too. We played a bit on this court that's a few blocks away from Fuji's house. Fuji's parents are really strict by the way. You wouldn't think it looking at Fuji, but they are. His sister is nice though (a bit on the creepy side, just like Fuji), and his otouto Yuuta-kun is really cute. Unyah, I lost track again. Mengo mengo. So, we played a game. I lost, and I mean big time. A strings breaking, racket dropping, legs folding loss. Kind of upsetting. I was on the tennis team after all, and he was not. But at the same time as it was embarrassing, it was like really cool nyah! He didn't even break a sweat you know? So I figured I'd bring him to practice with me, second year. You know, to beat the stuffing out of some of those snobbish seniors or something. He didn't seem too happy about the idea at first. Something about his brother. I kind of ignored that at the time, so I can't remember very well.

When we got to practice it only took a couple of minutes before one of the seniors got annoyed with Fuji's smile and challenged him to a game 'to wipe the smirk off his face'. Really nyah, Fuji doesn't smirk. His smile is sweet and innocent. Well it looks innocent at first glance anyway. I'm glad fuku-buchou Tezuka wasn't there that day (don't know why he wasn't), 'cause he wouldn't have allowed the game. He's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud. I was really excited about Fuji's game, but for some reason he like totally threw it. Really annoying. I told him so afterwards too, but he just smiled, nodded and said something like how he chooses his opponents, not the other way around. Yeah sure. Tennis doesn't work that way, I told him. His response to that was;

"Who said I was talking about tennis?"

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For those who may not know:

Fuku-buchou means vice captain. As in sport related things.  
Otouto means little brother.  
Unyah and nyah are cute catlike sounds used by the character who was 'talking'.  
Mengo mengo is his version of gomen gomen.  
Fujiko-chan or just Fujiko are nicknames he uses for Fuji (um, yeah that was obvious, but anyway).

This one was kind of easy to write. And not angsty at all, heh.

I know this one's shorter. That's why they're drabbles! I know for a fact that the next one will be even shorter, but the last one will be long.

Review please. If only to tell me what I'm doing wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

**Egao no Tensai  
**_Chapter 3  
Drabble, 513 words (I could have made it longer, but it felt good to end it where I did).  
First person.  
Disclaimer: I don't own TeniPuri. And I'm not even wearing socks anymore!  
Warnings: Bit of Shounen-ai. Not a lot though. This one is mostly to try and write the character as accurately as possible. Not much forward movement.  
Category: General. A little AU.  
Pairings: Err, I'm getting there, really I am._

_pseudonym: Thanks for pointing those things out I actually noticed the blurb thing, and tried to fix it immediately. It didn't register. It should have by now though._

_ruji: Actually I'll be stopping with the one after this one. Unless I get bribed to continue (i.e. more people review and tell me to )._

_Ok on with it._

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He annoys me. I guess you're surprised to hear me of all people say something like that, but it's true. He really, really annoys me.

The first ranking matches of my sophomore year were uninteresting at best. Even Inui was no competition for me. It may sound supercilious, vain even, but that was the way it was. I play tennis to win, to take our team to Nationals. That was the promise I made with Oishi, and I'm keeping that promise, as I know he will as well. The result of my mentality is that people are afraid to play me now. Even our buchou prefers not to play me. According to what Ryuzaki-sensei says, he's afraid to lose the teams respect by getting beat by his sophomore fuku-buchou. I couldn't care less for his reasons. If you are afraid to play one person, you shouldn't play at all.

I'll make buchou next year. I guess it's for the best. At least this way I'll be able to make sure we reach Nationals that year. Though that doesn't mean I won't try for it this year as well. I've made that promise after all. Perhaps this year we really will make it. There are some talented people among the new sophomores, my year mates. They need a strong hand to push them to their best ability. If buchou cannot do that, then I will. Ryuzaki-sensei supports me in that decision wholeheartedly.

It was after those first ranking matches that he showed up. He had a pretty face, but his build was all wrong for playing tennis. He was short, so he didn't have the advantage of a long reach, and his body was far from muscular. I was told by Oishi that this new boy had been around at some earlier point. I didn't really care. The boy was introduced to us as a new member at a practice. I was somewhat put out that no one had come to tell me about this new addition before the announcement was made, especially as it is not custom to admit new members when the season has already started. His name was Fuji Syusuke, he introduced himself. He was a sophomore, born on February 29th, his favourite colour was beige and he liked cactuses.

I think that introduction was the first time he annoyed me.

I noticed rather immediately that there was something strange about Fuji. Inui's opinion of his playing style was that it was 'graceful, but slow', together with some percentages that I ignored. Oishi told me of a game Fuji had played when he visited practice right at the beginning of the year. I listened to his view on Fuji, realising it was the same as Inui's, all the while taking mental notes to make Fuji and the senior he played run laps for breaking the rules of the tennis club. Well, maybe not Fuji. He was not a member of the team back then after all. I shouldn't be so harsh on him.

And that thought alone should have warned me.

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For those who may not know:

Buchou means captain (in sports. I think army type captain is different).  
Fuku-buchou (I've said this before) means vice-captain.

Nextchapter/drabble will be the last one. At least unless I'm bribed, as stated earlier. I think you can figure out who the next 'speaker' will be (and no, it's not Echizen).

About the grammar and spelling mistakes… Err, those things will continue to happen ; English is not my first language after all, and I have no beta.

Reviewers are received with kisses and huggles (or cookies if preferred).


	4. Chapter 4

**Egao no Tensai  
**_Chapter 4.  
Drabble, 900 words exactly, wheee (I knew this one would be the longest).  
First person.  
Disclaimer: Konomi Takeshi owns Tennis no Ohjisama. I own my socks, which I'm going to microwave in a minute or so.  
Warnings: Shounen-ai.  
Category: Enter the romance. Well I think it's kind of fluffy anyway. And it remains a little AU.  
Pairings: Yay, finally a pairing!_

_Slytherinette: I would slow down if this was a real 'story'. But for drabbles background information seems a bit redundant. I'll try to keep that in mind for my longer stuff though. _

_Yuki-mono: Yaaaay, you think I write them right? That makes me so happy! huggles_

_ruji: Ooh, repeat reviewer. And yes, this is (probably) the last one. Writing the others might have been fun, but… I have this other project I want to post. More about that at the end of this chapter. _

_Ok, here we go then. And no, it's not Taka-san, though that was a good guess, and I probably should have done one with him. But drabbles like these just HAVE to end with…_

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People ask me sometimes, why do I smile? Why do I go through life with my eyes closed? Why do I pretend?

Ne, would you believe me if I told you I'm not really sure myself? Well no, that's not quite right. I do know why I started behaving this way. Why you ask? Now, I don't remember saying I'd tell you, I'm just musing to myself. The look on your face now is entertaining. Did you really want to know that desperately? I'll give you this much; I know how it started, I do not know why it continues. That should give you food for thought.

I know you're curious about something else. Why did I join the tennis club? Maa, now there's a story. I wonder if it will surprise you. Probably not. You've been talking to the others haven't you? Ne, did you really think you could hide that from me? Now now, don't make such an impatient face. I'll tell you the story.

When Eiji brought me with him to practice that first time, I admit I wasn't all too happy about the idea. You see I had been asked by Yuuta to not go near the tennis courts. Why, do you ask? Maa, that's our little secret isn't it? Eiji was adamant however, and I knew Yuuta wouldn't be there that morning as he had a dentist appointment. I wonder if he'll get braces. That would be so cute on him. Ne, I'm digressing, aren't I? Gomen ne? At any rate, I went with Eiji. I knew he had some ulterior motives for bringing me there. Eiji can be so cutely predictable sometimes. Almost as cute as Yuuta. Oh, there I go again.

I don't play tennis to win. Now you look at me as if I've lost my mind. That's not very nice of you. The senior that played me that day was rather good really. I didn't really throw the game, as Eiji accused me of doing. I simply didn't allow myself to win. There is a difference, I assure you. Losing didn't bother me, as I rarely win these kind of matches. Also, the defeat had the added outcome of flustering Eiji, which was quite amusing. I probably shouldn't have allowed myself to win against him in the match we played in our freshman year, but I felt like I should be at least somewhat honest with him. He is my friend after all.

The ranking matches were pretty entertaining. I watched the one Taka-san played in. He won, I think partly from frightening his opponent so much he nearly ran off the court. Split personalities can be such party heighteners, ne? I had some trouble finding where Eiji would be playing later, so I asked a rather distant boy whom I knew to be named Oishi Syuichiroh for directions. He kindly showed me the way there. He was even more distracted then usual that day for some reason. When we arrived at the C-block courts, I decided to stand next to him while watching the game. Saeki once told me I'm a curious person in every sense of the word. I'm sure I have no idea what he was talking about.

Eiji lost to Inui, and I let my mind wander as I comforted my redheaded friend. I didn't know Inui all that well back then, although I sometimes felt as if befriending him could be an interesting experience. If I had done so, the next match would probably not have had the impact it did on me. Inui versus Tezuka. I didn't know Inui very well, like I said, but I had at least talked to him at times. With Tezuka Kunimitsu it was different. I had heard of him. Little whispers in the corridors of the school, girls in my homeroom swooning while mentioning him, people on the street courts speaking his name with awe, and even Yuuta mentioned him at times. But for all talk of the handsome and talented boy, the most I had seen of him were brief glimpses at a distance. He seemed a very busy person, and a very serious one. For all the amusement it could have brought to try and break through that cold exterior, I never really felt compelled to.

All these thoughts eddied through my head. I was used to it. I usually had several thoughts in my head at once. Yuuta used to be jealous at my ability to think of more than one thing at once, until I told him it confused more than helped, and made it difficult for me to concentrate at times. In truth, I told him, I'd prefer to have no such ability. Now I watched the game and my thoughts slowly stopped swirling. It felt as if each loose strand of reason began to home in with pinpoint precision on the one thing that remained. For the first time in my life, I felt as if I could completely let go. I admit, it frightened me. I didn't even notice I had opened my eyes, or that the people around me were suddenly silent; I was told about it afterwards. All I remember seeing are brown eyes, messy hair and a determination that shone through in every move made. And I remember realising something.

I will let go only if he catches me.

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_The End_

Yeah I know, MUSH!

For those who may not know:  
He has a habit of using words/sounds like maa and ne. Maa kind of equals well, and ne is a simple inquisitive sound, if I remember correctly.  
Do I have to write the meaning of gomen? Nah, I'll just skip it. If you really don't know (which is inconceivable), go google!

Were you surprised? Did I write him ok?

Review and tell me please.

Next project: InuKai PG-13 humour one-shot. I've actually already written it, I just need to go over it again. Hope you'll read it.

Suain, the sockaholic, out.


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